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What Is E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T (or Double-E-A-T) stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a set of signals Google Search Quality Raters use to assess the quality of a webpage. The guidelines are outlined in the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

Search Quality Raters, or raters, are contractors who evaluate the quality of Google pagine dei risultati di ricerca. Google uses their feedback to improve its algorithms and provide better search experiences to users. However, Google says their feedback does not directly affect the search results.

Properties of E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T consists of four elements, including:

• Experience
• Expertise
• Authoritativeness
• Trustworthiness

Below, we will provide a brief overview of the individual components one by one. 

1 Experience

Google quality raters determine the experience of a webpage by assessing the author’s first-hand knowledge on the subject matter.

For example, a product reviewer who used a product has more experience than another reviewer who did not use the product. Similarly, a medical doctor with years of experience has more first-hand knowledge of health issues than a random blogger who has never been a doctor.

That said, a blogger can display experience by:

• Sharing personal stories or case studies
• Including an author bio in their content
• Including credentials or certifications on the page or author bio
• Including testimonials or user reviews in their content
• Mentioning the years of experience they have in the field
• Participating in industry-level forums or discussions
• Sharing behind-the-scenes content or processes

2 Expertise

Google quality raters evaluate expertise by assessing the creator’s knowledge, qualifications, and understanding of the topic.

For topics requiring formal expertise (like medical or financial content), they look for credentials or professional background. For less formal topics (like hobbies or personal experiences), demonstrated knowledge and practical know-how can indicate expertise.

UN blogger can indicate expertise by:

• Having qualifications relevant to the field or topic
• Publishing high-quality, accurate, and well-researched content
• Strictly focusing on topics within their area of expertise
• Citing credible sources and studies in their content
• Displaying their qualifications and credentials

3 Authoritativeness

Google quality raters evaluate authoritativeness by examining the reputation of the creator, content, and site. This is often based on external signals such as references, reviews, and mentions by other trusted sources.

Authoritativeness is typically based on whether the creator or webpage is considered the go-to source for the topic. For example, the official government page for issuing passports is the go-to source for passport issuance and renewals.

A blogger can display authoritativeness by:

• Earning backlinks from reputable websites
• Receiving mentions and features in trusted publications
• Building a strong social media presence and following
• Receiving mentions and endorsements from recognized experts
• Earning awards or recognitions within their industry

4 Trustworthiness

Google quality raters evaluate trustworthiness by assessing the transparency, accuracy, and reliability of the content, as well as the credibility of the website and its creator. They look for clear sources, contact information, secure connections, and a positive reputation.

The specific method of determining trust can differ from site to site. For example, the trust of an ecommerce store can be determined by assessing its payment and customer service systems.

In contrast, the trust of a product review page can be determined by evaluating whether the content is written to sell the product or help the audience reach a decision.

A site and blogger can indicate trustworthiness by:

• Using HTTPS on their site
• Showing real user reviews and ratings
• Providing visible contact information on their site
• Displaying privacy policies, usage policies, and terms of service
• Being transparent about their affiliations and sponsored content
• Clearly distinguishing between the ads and the main content on their pages

Is E-E-A-T a Ranking Factor?

E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor. Instead, it is a mix of signals that allows Google to assess the credibility, trustworthiness, and overall quality of content published to the web. This means that Google does not assign a specific score to E-E-A-T. Instead, it looks out for several signals that can indicate a site’s E-E-A-T. 

However, while E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor, it plays a significant but indirect role in how Google evaluates the quality of a webpage or website. It is a key part of the Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which human evaluators use to assess the quality of search results. 

These evaluations do not directly affect individual page rankings, but they help Google refine its algorithm to favor higher-quality, more trustworthy content.

In practice, improving E-E-A-T can positively impact rankings because the Google Search algorithm is designed to promote content that aligns with E-E-A-T principles, especially for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics, where trust, credibility, and accuracy are crucial. 

In all, while E-E-A-T itself is not a ranking signal, its components influence many signals that do affect rankings. This makes E-E-A-T a critical factor for sites that want to appear on search results pages. 

Importance of E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is important for bloggers and searchers. For searchers, E-E-A-T allows Google to assess the quality of the webpages displayed to searchers. This is particularly helpful with your money or your life (YMYL) type content that can have a considerable impact on the searcher. 

For instance, a searcher who wants to know what to do during an earthquake should only see sites that give helpful information. If some random and untrustworthy site ranks for such content, then it may have serious consequences for the searcher, particularly when that site publishes incorrect information. 

E-E-A-T also benefits bloggers, as it allows them to demonstrate their credibility to their visitors and search engines. This increases their chances of ranking on search results pages. This can, in turn, lead to higher visibility, increased trust, and better overall conversions and engagement. 

Importance of Trustworthiness in E-E-A-T

Trustworthiness is the most important component of E-E-A-T. It is so important that Google Quality Rater Guidelines instruct Google quality raters to assign a low score to sites that display any sign of untrustworthiness, even if the site has a high experience, expertise, and authoritiveness score. 

Trustworthiness is important because it directly affects how visitors and search engines perceive the credibility and reliability of a site, creator, and their content. Google itself emphasizes that visitors must feel safe interacting with a page. 

Trustworthiness covers the accuracy of the information published on the page, the transparency of its author, and the safety of any action or transaction that the visitor will perform on the page. 

How to Demonstrate E-E-A-T

Google states that bloggers can demonstrate E-E-A-T by focusing on the who, how, and why of their content. We will explain them below. 

1 Who

Google says bloggers can demonstrate E-E-A-T by answering the question, “Who published this content?”

Here, the blogger should provide visitors with information about the author. They should clearly state their name along with background information that allows visitors to establish their experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. 

2 How

The next question bloggers should answer is, “How was this content created?”

In this case, the blogger should tell visitors how the content was created and include additional information to support their claims. They can detail their creation process and include information about the sources and methods they used to make the content. 

3 Why

The final question bloggers should answer is, “Why was this content created?”

Content should be created to help people. It should not be created for search engines or for the primary intent of benefiting the blogger. So, bloggers that want to rank must ensure that their content is written for and helpful to humans. 

How to Improve Your E-E-A-T

You can improve your E-E-A-T by following on-page, off-page, e technical SEO guidelines and best practices. However, you should also keep the following tips in mind when creating such content or building your site.

1 Include an Author Bio

Author bios allow visitors and search engines to know who is responsible for the content and what qualifies them to write about it. It gives context about the person writing the content, including their background and expertise. This builds trust, transparency, authority, and credibility. So, make sure to include them on your pages. 

2 Cite Reputable Sources

Ensure your content links to trustworthy and authoritative sources that support the claims in your content. This verifies the accuracy of your content, which improves your credibility with your visitors and search engines. 

3 Receive Mentions and Backlinks from Authoritative Sites

Backlinks from respected websites act as endorsements. They indicate that others trust your content enough to refer their readers to it. So, make sure to publish high-quality content that earns you backlinks from the authoritative sites in your niche. 

4 Use HTTPS Instead of HTTP

Search engines prefer HTTPS over the less secure HTTP. HTTPS encrypts the data sent between the visitor and the server, keeping both parties secure and reducing the chances of being intercepted by third parties. So, ensure to use HTTPS rather than HTTP. 

5 Keep Content Accurate and Updated

Review and update your content regularly. This keeps your content accurate and relevant. It also signals that your site is well-maintained and trustworthy. Outdated information, on the other hand, can mislead visitors and reduce your credibility. 

6 Provide Detailed Contact Information

List your contact details on your site. This should include your name, address, and phone number (NAP), email address, and post office boxes wherever possible. This assures visitors and search engines that you are a real business, and it assures visitors that they can always reach out to you when they encounter issues with your product or services. 

7 Publish Clear and Transparent Policies

Ensure to include clear and transparent privacy, use, and return policies on your site, as applicable. Such policies are especially important for ecommerce and YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) pages, where they help to build trust and provide assurances about your site and content. 

8 Publish Original, High-Quality Content

Always publish high-quality content. It should be in-depth, well-researched, and unique. This sort of content builds your reputation and sets you apart from low-quality or duplicate content sites on the web. Such content should answer user questions or solve problems, rather than simply chasing rankings.

9 Use the Products You Review

Make sure to use the products that you review. This improves credibility and trust with your visitors and assures them that you know what you are talking about. It also makes your content more authentic and relevant to your audience. 

10 Write for People and Not Search Engines

Make sure to write for humans and not search engines. Your content should be helpful, readable, and accessible to humans. Do not stuff keywords into it or engage in other content creation techniques common with bloggers who create content for search engines. Instead, make it clear, engaging, and enjoyable to read. 

11 Follow an Editorial Standard

If you have a team of writers, then make sure to have clear content guidelines and editorial policies that you expect your writers and editors to follow. Such policies reduce misinformation and ensure accuracy, consistency, and quality, particularly for sites that offer medical, financial, or legal advice.

12 Have Experts on Your Content Team

Make sure to have experts on your team if you publish Your Money or Your Life type content. This builds authority and assures visitors and search engines that the information is trustworthy. Your Money or Your Life keywords are hard to rank for, which makes these experts a must for pages that want to rank for or maintain their rankings.